Facilitation (Face-to-Face and Online)
© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting,
LLC.
Some information adapted from Field Guide to Consulting and Organizational Development
and Field Guide to Consulting and Organizational Development
with Nonprofits.
Sections of This Topic Include:
Learning About FacilitationFacilitating in Face-to-Face Groups
Facilitating Online Groups (virtual communities)
Facilitation Library
National Organizations That Include Focus on Facilitation
Learning About Facilitation
What is Facilitation?
Very simply put, facilitation is helping a group to accomplish its goals. There are a wide range of perspectives about the ideal nature and values of facilitation, much as there are a wide range of perspectives about the ideal nature and values of leadership. For example, some facilitators may believe that facilitation should always be highly democratic in nature and that anything other than democratic is not facilitation at all. Others may believe that facilitation can be quite directive, particularly depending on the particular stage of development of the group.Whatever one's beliefs about the best nature of facilitation, the practice usually is best carried out by someone who has strong knowledge and skills regarding group dynamics and processes -- these are often referred to as process skills. Effective facilitation might also involve strong knowledge and skills about the particular topic or content that the group is addressing in order to reach its goals -- these are often referred to as content skills. The argument about how much "process versus content" skills are required by facilitators in certain applications is a very constructive argument that has gone on for years.
How Can I Learn About Facilitation?
When gaining an introduction to facilitation, the reader might best be served to:1. Read articles referenced from the section Group Dynamics
2. Then read articles referenced from the section "Some Basic Guidelines and Principles About Facilitation"
3. Then refine your knowledge about various types of groups by reading articles referenced from the section Group Skills.
4. You can deepen and enrich your learning by reflecting on your facilitation experiences, including by sharing feedback with other facilitators. Consider joining any of the National Organizations That Include Focus on Facilitation.
5. Ultimately, the best way to really learn facilitation is to facilitate -- start simple, but start. Regularly reflect on your experiences as you grow and learn.
Facilitating in Face-to-Face Groups
Some Basic Guidelines and Principles About Facilitation
Basic Facilitation PrimerWhen to Facilitate, Train or Coach
Facilitator Competencies
Basic Questions On Faciliation
Basic Faciliation Skills
Secrets of Successful Facilitators
Various Tips, Tools and Techniques
Facilitate.com Facilitation TipsTips for Facilitators -- many articles
Managers as Facilitators
Transformational Dialogues
Facilitating Online Discussions
Facilitating and Hosting a Virtual CommunityOnline Community Toolkit
Facilitator Competencies
Internet Resources From the Electronic Discussion on Group Facilitation
Online Conferencing Guidelines
Online Discussion Groups and E-Mail Lists for Volunteer Managers
Facilitating and Hosting a Virtual Community
The Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online
Also see:
Online Board Meetingsand these online discussion groups about online facilitation
List Moderators.Com
List-Managers Mailing List
National Organizations That Include Focus on Facilitation
International Association of FacilitatorsInternational Society for Performance Improvement
Institute for Cultural Affairs -- World-Wide
Institute for Cultural Affairs USA and the Technology of Participation (ToP)
Midwest Facilitators' Network
Minnesota Organization Development Network
National OD Network
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Regional OD Networks
Society for Human Resource Management
For the Category of Facilitation and Teams:
Related Library Topics
Recommended Books
Program Planning Kit to develop
high-quality peer coaching group program
- by Carter McNamara, MBA, PHD, published by Authenticity Consulting, LCC. The program planning kit provides step-by-step guidelines to plan, market (internally or externally), facilitate and evaluate a high-quality peer coaching group program for any application our outcome. The kit includes a program planning guidebook, a facilitator's guidebook and a guidebook for members of a peer coaching group.
The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just hover your cursor over the image of the book. A "bubble" of information will be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
Also See
Strategic Planning (Facilitating) -- Recommended Books
Organizational Development (Facilitating) -- Recommended Books
